intestine at a rate far higher than normal. Hereditary
hemochromatosis is treated by avoiding iron-rich
foods and removing blood (usually through blood
donation) from the individual on a regular basis.
People who have many blood transfusions can also
develop iron overload, but by far the most common
cause of excess iron is accidental poisoning. Over
20,000 American children accidentally ingest iron—
usually in the form of dietary supplements—each
year. Iron poisoning is the leading cause of poisoning
deaths in children under age 6 in the United States. Iron
overdose is a medical emergency. Symptoms occurring
within the first 12 hours include nausea, vomiting,
abdominal pain, black stool, weakness, rapid pulse,
low blood pressure, fever, difficulty breathing, and
coma. If death does not occur within the first 12
hours, damage to the kidney liver damage, cardiovas-
cular system and nervous system may appear within
two days. Long-term damage to survivors of iron poi-
soning include cirrhosis (liver damage), permanent cen-
tral nervous system damage, and stomach problems.Parental concerns
Parents should be aware that the RDA and UL
for vitamins and minerals are much lower for children
than for adults. Accidental overdose may occur if
children are give adult vitamins or dietary supple-
ments. Accidental iron overdose is a leading cause of
poisoning deaths in young children. Parents should
keep all dietary supplements away from children, just
as they would other medicines.Resources
BOOKS
DiSilvestro, Robert.Handbook of Minerals as Nutritional
Supplements.Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2005.
Fragakis, Allison.The Health Professional’s Guide to Popu-
lar Dietary SupplementChicago: American Dietetic
Association, 2003
Garrison, Cheryl D., ed.The Iron Disorders Institute
Guide to Anemia.Nashville, TN: Cumberland House,
2003.
Garrison, Cheryl D., ed.The Iron Disorders Institute Guide
to Hemochromatosis.Nashville, TN: Cumberland
House, 2001.
Lieberman, Shari and Nancy Bruning.The Real Vitamin and
Mineral Book: The Definitive Guide to Designing Your
Personal Supplement Program,4th ed. New York:
Avery, 2007.
Pressman, Alan H. and Sheila Buff.The Complete Idiot’s
Guide to Vitamins and Minerals,3rd ed. Indianapolis,
IN: Alpha Books, 2007.PERIODICALS
Iannotti, Lora L, James M. Tielsch, Maureen M. Black,
et al. ‘‘Iron Supplementation in Early Childhood:
Health Benefits and Risks.’’American Journal of Clin-
ical Nutrition,84 (2006):1261-76.
ORGANIZATIONS
American Dietetic Association. 120 South Riverside Plaza,
Suite 2000, Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995. Telephone:
(800) 877-1600. Website:<http://www .eatright.org>
International Food Information Council. 1100 Connecticut
Avenue, NW Suite 430, Washington, DC 20036. Tele-
phone: 202-296-6540. Fax: 202-296-6547. Website:
<http://ific.org>
Iron Disorders Institute. 2722 Wade Hampton Blvd., Suite A,
Greenville, SC 29615. Telephone: (864) 292-1175. Fax:
(864) 292-1878. Website:<http://www.irondisorders.org>
Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University, 571
Weniger Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331-6512. Telephone:
(541) 717-5075. Fax: (541) 737-5077. Website:<http://
lpi.oregonstate.edu>
Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health.
6100 Executive Blvd., Room 3B01, MSC 7517, Bethesda,
MD 20892-7517 Telephone: (301)435-2920. Fax: (301)
480-1845. Website:<http://dietary-supplements.info.nih
.gov>
OTHER
Harvard School of Public Health. ‘‘Vitamins.’’ Harvard
University, November 10, 2006.<http://www.hsph
.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamins.html>
Higdon, Jane. ‘‘Iron.’’ Linus Pauling Institute-Oregon State
University, January 6, 2006.<http://lpi.oregonstate
.edu/infocenter/minerals/iron>
Iron Disorders Institute. ‘‘About Iron.’’ November 3, 2006.
<http://www.irondisorders.org/Disofders/about.asp>
Mangels, Reed. ‘‘Iron in the Vegan Diet.’’ Vegetarian
Resource Group, April 26, 2006.<http://www.vrg.org/
nutrition/iron.htm>
Medline Plus. ‘‘Iron.’’ U. S. National Library of Medicine,
August 1, 2006.<http://www.nlm.nih/gov/medlineplus
/druginfo/natural/patient-iron.html>
Office of Dietary Supplements. ’’Dietary Supplement Fact
Sheet: Iron.‘‘ National Institutes of Health, July 26,
2004.<http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/iron.asp>Tish Davidson, A.M.Irradiated food
Definition
Irradiated foods are foods that have been exposed
to a radiant energy source to kill harmful bacteria,
insects, or parasites, or to delay spoilage, sprouting,
or ripening.Irradiated food